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Encyclopedia > Graham Hancock

Graham Hancock (born August 2, 1950) is a British writer and journalist. His books include Lords of Poverty, The Sign and the Seal, Fingerprints of the Gods, Keeper of Genesis (US name: The Message of the Sphinx), The Mars Mystery, Heaven's Mirror (with wife Santha Faiia), Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization, and Talisman: Sacred Cities, Secret Faith (with co-author Robert Bauval). He also wrote and presented the Channel 4 documentaries Underworld: Flooded Kingdoms of the Ice Age and Quest for the Lost Civilisation. Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... For other uses, see Journalist (disambiguation). ... This article needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... Fingerprints of the Gods is a book first published in 1995 by speculative author Graham Hancock, in which he contends that some previously unidentified ancient but highly-advanced civilization had existed in prehistory, one which served as the common progenitor civilization to all subsequent known ancient historical ones. ... Robert Bauval was born on 5 March 1948 in Alexandria, Egypt to parents of Belgian origin. ... This article is about the British television station. ...


His most recent book, Supernatural: Meetings With the Ancient Teachers of Mankind, was released in the UK in October, 2005 and in the US in 2006. In it, Hancock examines paleolithic cave art in the light of David Lewis-Williams' neuropsychological model, exploring its relation to the development of the fully-modern human mind. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... James David Lewis-Williams is a professor emeritus of cognitive archaeology at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. ...


Hancock's chief areas of interest are ancient mysteries, stone monuments or megaliths, ancient myths and astronomical/astrological data from the past. One of the main themes running through many of his books is the possible global connection with a 'mother culture' from which he believes all ancient historical civilizations sprang. Although his books have sold more than five million copies worldwide and have been translated into twenty-seven languages, his methods and conclusions have found little support among academics. Often criticised for being a pseudoarchaeologist, Hancock, who freely admits he has no formal training in archaeology, sees himself as providing a counterbalance to what he perceives as the 'unquestioned' acceptance and support given to orthodox views by the education system, the media, and by society at large.[1] Megalithic tomb, Mane Braz, Brittany Bronze age wedge tomb in the Burren area of Ireland For the record label, see Megalith Records. ... Pseudoarchaeology is an aspect of pseudohistory. ... For referencing in Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Citing sources. ...

Contents

Biography

Born in Edinburgh, Hancock's formative years were spent in India, where his father worked as a surgeon. Having returned to the UK, he graduated from Durham University in 1973, receiving a First Class Honours degree in Sociology. For other uses, see Edinburgh (disambiguation). ... Affiliations 1994 Group European University Association Association of MBAs EQUIS Universities UK N8 Group Association of Commonwealth Universities Website http://www. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Sociology (from Latin: socius, companion; and the suffix -ology, the study of, from Greek λόγος, lógos, knowledge [1]) is the systematic and scientific study of society, including patterns of social relationships, social action, and culture[2]. Areas studied in sociology can range from the analysis of brief contacts between anonymous...


As a journalist, Hancock worked for many British papers, such as The Times, The Sunday Times, The Independent, and The Guardian. He was co-editor of New Internationalist magazine from 1976-1979 and East Africa correspondent of The Economist from 1981-1983 The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ... The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International which is in turn owned by News Corporation. ... For other uses, see The Independent (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London. ...


Orion Correlation Theory

Representation of the central tenet of the OCT - the outline of the Giza pyramids superimposed over a photograph of the stars in Orion's Belt. To achieve this concordance the pyramids have been rotated and scaled to suit. The validity of this match has been called into question by Hancock's critics, as noted in the text.
Representation of the central tenet of the OCT - the outline of the Giza pyramids superimposed over a photograph of the stars in Orion's Belt. To achieve this concordance the pyramids have been rotated and scaled to suit. The validity of this match has been called into question by Hancock's critics, as noted in the text.

A recurring theme in several of Hancock's works has been an exposition on the "Orion Correlation Theory" (or OCT), first put forward by Belgian writer Robert Bauval and then further expounded in collaborative works with Hancock, as well as in their separate publications. The basis of this theory concerns the proposition that the relative positions of three main Ancient Egyptian pyramids on the Giza plateau are (by design) correlated with the relative positions of the three stars in the constellation of Orion which make up Orion's Belt— as these stars appeared ca. 10,500 BC. Image File history File links Orion_-_pyramids. ... Image File history File links Orion_-_pyramids. ... Oct or OCT may refer to: A prefix to denote the number 8 The month of October Oxytocin challenge test This is a disambiguation page — a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... Robert Bauval was born on 5 March 1948 in Alexandria, Egypt to parents of Belgian origin. ... Khafres Pyramid and the Great Sphinx of Giza, built about 2550 BC during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom,[1] are enduring symbols of the civilization of ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt was a civilization in Northeastern Africa concentrated along the middle to lower reaches of the Nile River... 19th-century tourists in front of the Sphinx - view from South-East, Great Pyramid in background The Giza Necropolis stands on the Giza Plateau, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. ... This article is about the star grouping. ... Orion (IPA: ), a constellation often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation, one of the largest and perhaps the best-known and most conspicuous in the sky[1]. Its brilliant stars are found on the celestial equator and are visible throughout the world, making this constellation globally recognized. ... Orion, a constellation often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation, perhaps the best-known in the sky. ...


Their initial claims regarding the alignment of the Giza pyramids with Orion ("…the three pyramids were an unbelievably precise terrestrial map of the three stars of Orion's belt"— Hancock's Fingerprints of the Gods, 1995, p.375) are later joined with speculation about the age of the Great Sphinx (Hancock and Bauval, Keeper of Genesis, published 1997 in the U.S. as The Message of the Sphinx). According to these works, the Great Sphinx was constructed circa 10,500 BC, and its lion-shape is maintained to be a definitive reference to the constellation of Leo. Furthermore, the orientation and dispositions of the Sphinx, the Giza pyramids and the Nile River relative to one another on the ground is put forward as an accurate reflection or "map" of the constellations of Leo, Orion (specifically, Orion's Belt) and the Milky Way respectively. As Hancock puts it in 1998's The Mars Mystery (co-authored with Bauval): Fingerprints of the Gods is a book first published in 1995 by speculative author Graham Hancock, in which he contends that some previously unidentified ancient but highly-advanced civilization had existed in prehistory, one which served as the common progenitor civilization to all subsequent known ancient historical ones. ... The Great Sphinx at Giza, Egypt The Great Sphinx of Giza is a large half-human, half-lion Sphinx statue in Egypt, on the Giza Plateau at the west bank of the Nile River, near modern-day Cairo. ... The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. ... For other uses, see Lion (disambiguation). ... This article is about the star grouping. ... Leo (IPA: , Latin: , symbol , ) is a constellation of the zodiac. ... For other uses, see Nile (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Milky Way (disambiguation). ...

...we have demonstrated with a substantial body of evidence that the pattern of stars that is "frozen" on the ground at Giza in the form of the three pyramids and the Sphinx represents the disposition of the constellations of Orion and Leo as they looked at the moment of sunrise on the spring equinox during the astronomical "Age of Leo" (i.e., the epoch in which the Sun was "housed" by Leo on the spring equinox.) Like all precessional ages this was a 2,160-year period. It is generally calculated to have fallen between the Gregorian calendar dates of 10,970 and 8810 BC. (op. cit., p.189) In astronomy, the vernal equinox (spring equinox, March equinox, or northward equinox) is the equinox at the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere: the moment when the sun appears to cross the celestial equator, heading northward. ... Precession of the equinoxes refers to the precession of the Earths axis of rotation. ... For the calendar of religious holidays and periods, see liturgical year. ... Europe and surrounding areas in the 9th millennium BC. Blue areas are covered in ice. ...

The allusions to dates ca. 12,500 years ago are significant to Hancock since this is the era he seeks to assign to the advanced progenitor civilization, now vanished, but which he contends through most of his works had existed and whose advanced technology influenced and shaped the development of the world's (known) civilizations of antiquity. Egyptology and archaeological science maintain that available evidence indicates that the Giza pyramids and the Great Sphinx were constructed during the Fourth dynasty period (3rd millennium BC[2]). Hancock does not dispute the dating evidence for the pyramids, but instead argues that they must have been planned with the knowledge of how the stars had appeared some eight thousand years before they were actually built —since the OCT claims they are oriented that way— which it is implied provides further evidence for the influence of a technology and knowledge which would not have been available to the pyramids' builders. The Great Sphinx of Giza against Khafres Pyramid at the Giza pyramid complex. ... For referencing in Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Citing sources. ... The Fourth dynasty of Egypt was the second of the four dynasties considered forming the Old Kingdom. ... The 3rd millennium BC spans the Early to Middle Bronze Age. ...


The claims made by Hancock, Bauval, and others (such as Adrian Gilbert and Anthony West) concerning the significance of these proposed correlations have been examined by several scientists, who have published detailed criticism and rebuttal of these ideas. Adrian Gilbert (Born July 1949) is an bestselling British author and independent publisher who lives in Dorset, England. ...


Among these critiques are several from two astronomers, Ed Krupp of Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and Anthony Fairall, astronomy professor at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Using planetarium equipment, Krupp and Fairall independently investigated the angle between the alignment of Orion's Belt and north during the era cited by Hancock, Bauval et al. (which differs from the angle seen today or in the 3rd millennium BC, because of the precession of the equinoxes), and found that the angle was considerably different to the "perfect match" claimed by Bauval and Hancock in the OCT– 47-50 degrees per the planetarium measurements, compared to the 38 degree angle formed by the pyramids.[3] Galileo is often referred to as the Father of Modern Astronomy. ... Edwin C. Krupp is an American astronomer and the director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles since 1974. ... Griffith Observatory, September, 2006. ... UCT redirects here. ... For the song by Ai Otsuka, see Planetarium (song) // A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. ... Precession of the equinoxes refers to the precession of the Earths axis of rotation. ...


Krupp also pointed out that the slightly-bent line formed by the three pyramids was deviated towards the north, whereas the slight "kink" in the line of Orion's Belt was deformed to the south, and to match them up one or the other of them had to be turned upside-down.[4] Indeed, this is what was done in the original book by Bauval and Gilbert (The Orion Mystery), which compared images of the pyramids and Orion without revealing the pyramids' map had been inverted.[5]. Krupp and Fairall find other problems with the claims, including noting that if the Sphinx is meant to represent the constellation of Leo, then it should be on the opposite side of the Nile (the "Milky Way") from the pyramids ("Orion"),[3][4] that the vernal equinox ca. 10,500 BC was in Virgo and not Leo,[3] and that in any case the constellations of the Zodiac originate from Mesopotamia and are completely unknown in Egypt until the much later Graeco-Roman era.[5] However, one commentator has suggested that in his articles on this subject, Krupp is guilty "of doing exactly what he accuses those he attacks of doing: exemplary pseudo-science".[6] This same commentator however, while criticising certain of Krupp's statements about the nature of Ancient Egyptian astronomy, describes the theories of Hancock and Bauval as being "unlikely, for several [other] reasons." (Conman 2002) Leo (IPA: , Latin: , symbol , ) is a constellation of the zodiac. ... Illumination of Earth by Sun on the day of equinox The vernal equinox (or spring equinox) marks the beginning of astronomical spring. ... Virgo (pronounced , Latin: , symbol , ) is a constellation of the zodiac. ... The term zodiac denotes an annual cycle of twelve stations along the ecliptic, the apparent path of the sun across the heavens through the constellations that divide the ecliptic into twelve equal zones of celestial longitude. ...


In 2007 Bauval’s Orion Correlation Theory (OCT) was offered substantial corroboration by writer and researcher, Scott Creighton, who showed that the relative placement of the two sets of ‘Queens Pyramids’ concord with the precessional motion of the Orion Belt stars across a period of some 13,000 years. Creighton’s work demonstrates how the three Queens Pyramids of Menkaure in the SW of the plateau mimic the alignment of the three Orion Belt stars on the SW horizon c.10,500BC (at minimum culmination) and then rotated 90° and placed on the eastern horizon c.2,500AD (at maximum culmination) as depicted by the three ‘Queens Pyramids’ of Khufu. Thus the ‘Queens Pyramids’ effectively mimic the precessional ‘pendulum swing’ of the three belt stars as depicted by the three main Giza pyramids. Creighton’s work may also explain why the Pharaoh Khafre – who had five known wives – has built no Queens Pyramids beside his tomb in the centre of the plateau. As precessional markers there is only the need to mark the beginning and end points of the ‘pendulum swing’ – there is no need for intermediary precessional markers thus no ‘Queens Pyramids’ of Khafre. [1]


Also in 2007, Creighton presented an hypothesis which demonstrates how – using the asterism generated by the three Orion Belt stars - the actual dimensions (length and breadth) of the three main pyramids at Giza can be easily determined. [2]


The theory of an older Sphinx has received significantly more support from mainstream science. Most famously, geologist Robert M. Schoch has argued that the effects of water erosion on the Sphinx and its surrounding enclosure means that parts of the monument must originally have been carved at the latest between 7,000–5,000 BC.[7] Schoch's analysis has been broadly corroborated by another geologist, David Coxill, who agrees that the Sphinx has been heavily weathered by rainwater and must therefore have been carved in pre-dynastic times.[8] While a third geologist, Colin Reader, has suggested a date several hundred years prior to the commonly accepted date for construction. These views, however, have been almost universally rejected by mainstream Egyptologists who, together with a number of geologists, stand by the conventional dating for the monument. Their analyses attribute the apparently accelerated wear on the Sphinx variously to modern industrial pollution, qualitative differences between the layers of limestone in the monument itself, scouring by wind-borne sand, and/or temperature changes causing the stone to crack. This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Robert M. Schoch is an American geologist and academic with an especial interest in pyramid monuments around the world. ... For morphological image processing operations, see Erosion (morphology). ... Colin Reader is an English geologist with an interest in Ancient Egypt and is also secretary of The Manchester Ancient Egypt Society. ...


BBC Horizon controversy

Many attempts have been made to refute Hancock's ideas, most famously by BBC 2's Horizon programme, in a November 4, 1999 broadcast entitled "Atlantis Reborn". This programme detailed one of Hancock's claims that the arrangement of an ancient temple complex was designed to mirror astronomical features and demonstrated that the same thing could be done with perhaps equal justification using famous landmarks in New York. It also alleged that Hancock had selectively moved or ignored the locations of some of the temples to fit his own theories, and had ignored the texts on the temples themselves explaining why and when they had been built. Hancock claims he was misrepresented by the programme, and he and Robert Bauval made complaints to the Broadcasting Standards Commission against the way the BBC programme portrayed them and their work. Eight points were raised by Hancock, two by Bauval (one of which duplicated a complaint of Hancock's). This included the complaint: BBC Two (or BBC2 as it was formerly styled) was the second UK television station to be aired by the BBC. History The channel was scheduled to begin at 7:20pm on April 20, 1964 and show an evening of light entertainment, starting with the comedy show The Alberts and... Horizon is a long-running BBC popular science and history documentary programme. ... is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Robert Bauval was born on 5 March 1948 in Alexandria, Egypt to parents of Belgian origin. ... The Office of Communications, usually known as Ofcom, is the UKs communications regulator. ...

"The programme had created the impression that he [Hancock] was an intellectual fraudster who had put forward half baked theories and ideas in bad faith, and that he was incompetent to defend his own arguments".

The BSC, which made no judgement on Hancock or the evidence for or against his theories, dismissed all but one of the complaints. Overall, the BSC concluded that "the programme makers acted in good faith in their examination of the theories of Mr Hancock and Mr Bauval". The complaint which was upheld was that "The programme unfairly omitted one of their arguments in rebuttal of a speaker who criticised the theory of a significant correlation between the Giza pyramids and the belt stars of the constellation Orion (the "correlation theory")", which the Commission did find to be unfair. Horizon subsequently offered to broadcast a revised transmission of the programme which takes into account the one point which was found in the writers' favour. This went to air on December 14, 2000. is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ...


Despite the general tenor of the BSC's ruling, Hancock's official website states that the BSC "found in favour of Graham Hancock and Robert Bauval", quoting only those sections of the ruling that focus on the 'correlation theory'.[9]


See also

For other uses, see Mythology (disambiguation). ... The sun rising over Stonehenge at the 2005 Summer Solstice. ... Pseudoarchaeology is an aspect of pseudohistory. ... Dr. Zahi Hawass signs an autograph (Aug. ... Robert Bauval was born on 5 March 1948 in Alexandria, Egypt to parents of Belgian origin. ... Erich Anton Paul von Däniken (b. ... (disputed — see talk page) Laurence Gardner, historian, claiming to be, among others, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, Professional Member of the Institute of Nanotechnology, Chevalier de St. ... Terence McKenna (November 16, 1946 - April 3, 2000) was a writer and philosopher. ... // There are many theories surrounding Easter Island and how it is a supposed remnant of a lost continent and a lost civilisation. ...

References

  1. ^ Graham Hancock's website
  2. ^ (January 21, 2004) (2006) The Seven Wonders. The Great Pyramid of Giza.
  3. ^ a b c Fairall, Anthony (June 1999). "Precession and the layout of the Ancient Egyptian pyramids". Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society.
  4. ^ a b Krupp, Ed (February 1997). "Pyramid Marketing Schemes". Sky and Telescope.
  5. ^ a b Krupp, Ed (2002). Astronomical Integrity at Giza. The Antiquity of Man. Retrieved on 2006-08-08.
  6. ^ Conman, Joanne (2002) 'Blinking Back: Eyeball to Eyeball with Ed Krupp'
  7. ^ synopsis of a 1999 paper by Schoch
  8. ^ Coxhill, David (1998) cited by Robert Schoch
  9. ^ BBC Horizon: Atlantis Uncovered and Altantis [sic] Reborn, 28 October & 4 November 1999, Graham Hancock's official website

Edwin C. Krupp is an American astronomer and the director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles since 1974. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Graham Hancock - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (706 words)
Graham Hancock (born 1951) is a British writer.
Hancock's chief areas of interest are stone monuments or megaliths, ancient myths and astronomical/astrological data from the past.
One of Hancock's main areas of study is the possible global connection with a 'mother culture' from which he believes all ancient historical civilizations sprang.
Ian Alex Blease (1435 words)
Graham Hancock also makes spurious claims concerning the date of the Bolivian remains known as Tiwanaku and again he ignores all the known archaeology in favour of an earlier dating.
Graham Hancock is at odds with the C14 dating results, the site finds and the stratigraphy of the site, which tell us a different story at Tiwanaku.
Hancock now accepts the orthodox dating of the Giza Pyramids to circa 2,450 BCE although he still insists that the Sphinx is older and that the design for the site plan at Giza is fixed by star alignments to 10,500 BCE.
  More results at FactBites »


 
 

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